Christmas 1880
by Vol lady
Summary: Christmas brings Eugene and his new bride to the ranch, and changes to Nick's and Heath's romances.
1. Chapter 1

Christmas 1880

Chapter 1

"It's probably a pretty good thing the little guy isn't on his feet yet," Nick said, chucked J.J. under the chin as his mother held him, and then hung the ornament he was holding on the tree.

Jarrod hung another ornament. "Yeah, next year will be a different story. We'll have to figure out how to block him off from the tree, or he'll be at every shiny thing he sees, just like you were."

"Me?" Nick said.

"Yeah, you," Jarrod said. "It was my job to hold you back, but you squirmed like crazy and hit me and finally kicked me. Father stuck you into your crib, and did you cry."

Nick shrugged. "I've always been a man who knows what he wants." And with that, he leaned in toward Nancy, who was sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace, and he kissed her.

Nancy smiled. Nick had been courting her "properly" for a month and a half now, ever since she moved to Stockton. She hoped that at any time, he was going to ask her to marry him. She was more than ready to say yes.

Watching the Barkleys put up and decorate the Christmas tree together made her even more certain. The teasing, the laughing, the warmth and love that filled this room was exactly what she had always wanted, ever since she was a little girl. She never got those brothers and sisters, but now here they were. If Nick would only hurry up and ask.

But for now, she put those thoughts aside and was content to watch Jarrod, Nick, Heath and Audra trim the tree, while Maggie sat on the settee holding J.J. Carl got the ornaments out of their boxes and handed them out, and Suzanne and Victoria strung popcorn. Nancy's job was to keep the wassail mugs filled, while Silas kept the wassail bowl filled.

"What time are Eugene and his bride due in?" Heath asked.

"His wire said about half an hour ago," Victoria said. "He said he'd rent a buggy and be out here as soon as he could, but I suspect he'll run into a few people in Stockton that will want to grab him and pump him for information about the young lady he has with him, so we'll just expect him when he gets here."

Jarrod suddenly stopped what he was doing and stood up straight. "I've forgotten his wife's name."

"Mary Margaret," several voices said in unison.

"Mary Margaret," Jarrod said, nodding.

Nancy moved to refill a couple wassail mugs, one of them Jarrod's. "Maybe I shouldn't refill this one," she said.

Jarrod gave her one of those looks that would have been over the top of his glasses if he wore glasses. Nancy grinned and refilled his mug and the other, and put them back where she got them.

Nick took a moment to kiss her again.

Nancy said, "Well, I'll definitely keep your mug filled."

"Don't need liquid refreshment to kiss a pretty girl," Nick said.

It was a signal each Barkley sibling took advantage of. Audra went to Carl, who gave her a kiss. Jarrod kissed Maggie, and Heath kissed Suzanne.

Victoria sighed, and all of her children kissed her, almost all at once. She laughed and swatted them away.

Carl said, "We're just about out of ornaments. Who's gonna put the angel on top?"

"That's my job," Nick said, "since I'm the tallest."

"When you were little, you claimed the job because you were the smallest," Victoria said.

Nick only needed to stand on the second to the bottom rung of the ladder to put the angel on the top of the tall tree. Once he did that, he moved the ladder back out of the way, and everyone looked at the tree.

Victoria started pointing out bare spots, and the men started moving ornaments around. Audra retired to her husband's lap and watched.

When Victoria was satisfied, the men accepted the string of popcorn from her and began to wind it around the tree, each one standing so that he could take the string from one brother on the left and hand it off to the other on the right, and it would go around the tree in an orderly fashion.

It wasn't very long before the tree was finished.

"No candles?" Suzanne asked.

"No, we don't do that," Victoria said. "We had a fire once, years ago – Jarrod burned his arm trying to put it out. We were lucky the fire didn't spread."

Jarrod held up his left arm, showing the scar on the back of his forearm. Maggie, Suzanne and Nancy had all noticed it before but never asked about it. "I was lucky this was all I got," Jarrod said. "We haven't put candles on the tree since."

"We save the candles for the safe spots around the room," Victoria said. "And we have a new batch this year. Nick, would you go get them from the kitchen? Silas knows where they are."

Nick nodded and went off to the kitchen.

Victoria took a moment to admire the tree, and to admire her family. All of her children were either married or heading that way now, and it had all happened so fast, since last Christmas, in fact. She had waited soooooo many years for them to take mates that she was beginning to think it was never going to happen, but now it was happening.

"I think I'll play some Christmas carols," Audra said and went to the piano. "Anybody want to sing?"

"Play 'Deck the Halls' to start," Carl said. "It's the only one I know. All those 'fa-la-las' make it easy to remember."

Audra laughed and started playing, and everyone started singing, even Nick as he came back into the room with a box of candles. Victoria got up and directed him where to put them, but they would not be lit until it got dark outside.

They finished the carol – and suddenly everyone noticed what Heath was doing. He was on one knee in front of Suzanne. He had her hand in his, and he was placing a ring on her finger. Suddenly he was smiling and Suzanne was hugging him. He noticed everyone looking at him. "She said yes!" Heath beamed.

Everyone applauded and rushed to the couple, hugs and kisses all around. Nancy stepped back after kissing Suzanne, and Nick put his arm around her. She smiled at him. He smiled and then looked back, smiling, at his brother and his betrothed.

And that was all he did. Nancy's smile faded a bit, but she stayed in his embrace and tried not to let her envy show. This wasn't the time to feel left out. This was the time to rejoice with Heath and Suzanne.

XXXXXXX

The sun had set and all the candles were lit, but Eugene and his wife still had not arrived by 5:45. Beginning to worry a bit, Nick and Heath went out to the stable and looked up the lane to see if they could see a carriage light approaching, but so far, there was none.

"You think we ought to go look for him?" Nick asked.

"Not yet, I don't think," Heath said. "I think Mother was right. He'd get hung up in town longer than he expected." Then Heath gave his brother a hard look. "So, how is it I proposed to Suzanne before you asked Nancy?"

"Direct, aren't you?" Nick said.

"Well, I know it's none of my business, so I just jumped in with both feet."

Nick chuckled a little, but he did not answer the question.

"She's perfect for you," Heath went on.

Nick gave him another look.

Heath shrugged. "In for a penny, in for a pound."

Nick did not laugh this time, but looked back up the lane for any carriage approaching to save him. There was none. "I don't know," Nick said.

"You having second thoughts about Nancy?" Heath asked.

"No," Nick said. "No, I'm not. I don't know why I haven't asked her. I just – haven't."

"Cold feet," Heath said.

"Not exactly that, either," Nick said. _Where are you when I need you, Eugene?_ he thought.

"You're gonna lose her if you're not careful," Heath said.

"What makes you say that?" Nick asked.

"Suzanne says that new young banker in town has been asking about her. Nancy's not gonna wait for you forever, not when there's more fish in the sea."

Nick just made an unhappy noise and looked back up the lane. And now there was a carriage light coming toward them. "Here comes Eugene!" Nick yelled out loud, and thought, _saved!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Eugene! What the heck took you so long to get here?" Nick was beside his youngest brother as soon as Eugene got down out of the buggy, ready with a bear hug that lifted Eugene off the ground.

Heath offered a handshake when Nick put his brother down. "Welcome home, little brother."

"Thanks, thanks," Eugene said, and then he quickly turned to the other person in the buggy and helped her down.

She was small, very young, blonde and looking very nervous.

"Mary Margaret, this is my brother Nick, and my brother Heath," Eugene said. "Gentlemen, this is my wife, Mary Margaret O'Malley Barkley."

Each of the Barkley brothers took her hand and said hello.

"Why don't you go inside and let us get your bags?" Heath said.

"Good idea," Eugene said and led his wife up to the big front door.

In a moment, they were inside, and his mother and brother Jarrod, and Suzanne and Nancy were there to meet them. Maggie was still on the sofa, holding J.J., while Audra and Carl stayed in the chair they were in, avoiding the rush to the door.

"Oh, Eugene, it's so good to have you home!" Victoria cried and fell into his arms. They seemed bigger and stronger now. "Let me introduce you. This is Suzanne Pearson, Heath's fiancée."

"Fiancée?" Eugene said.

"As of tonight," Victoria said.

Eugene took her hand, saying, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Suzanne said.

"And this is Nick's friend, Nancy Tyler," Victoria said.

"Hello," Eugene said and took her hand.

Nancy sank inside to hear "friend," but she smiled and said hello.

Victoria said, "And this is Eugene's brother Jarrod, and that's Jarrod's wife Maggie and their son J.J. over there on the settee."

Jarrod took Mary Margaret's hand, saying hello as Maggie nodded.

Victoria said, "And back there in the corner are my daughter Audra and her husband, Carl Wheeler."

Audra and Carl got up and approached, and Carl took Mary Margaret's hand as Audra hugged Eugene.

"This is my wife, Mary Margaret O'Malley Barkley," Eugene said proudly.

Nick and Heath came in with the bags from the buggy. "Eugene, we'll take these up to your old room," Nick said as they headed upstairs.

Mary Margaret smiled, but everyone but Eugene could see she was a bit overwhelmed.

"Come, sit down," Victoria said and guided Mary Margaret to the settee, where she sat down beside Maggie. "We were just about to share drinks before dinner. It's a ritual we have around here."

Mary Margaret saw the Christmas tree as they came in. "That's a beautiful tree."

"We just put it up today," Victoria said.

Jarrod said, "Mary Margaret, would you like something to drink?"

"Oh, not just yet," she said. "It's been a busy day, and I'd just like to sit and get my bearings for a while."

Audra and Carl went back to the chair they had vacated, and Nancy and Suzanne sat down in the chairs opposite the settee as Jarrod said to Eugene, "Gene, anything to drink for you?"

"I'll wait a while, too," he said and stood behind his wife, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well," Victoria said. "I hope your trip west wasn't too trying."

Mary Margaret spoke very softly. "It was long. This was my first trip out of the East. I never realized how big this country was."

"We get the same shock the first time we go east," Jarrod said.

J.J. began to cry. "I think somebody's hungry," Maggie said. She got up and Jarrod excused himself and his family, taking them into the library for some privacy.

"How did you meet Eugene?" Audra asked.

"At a ball in Washington," Mary Margaret said.

When she didn't continue, Eugene took over. "It was a fund raiser for the hospital I'm working in. Mary Margaret's father is the chief administrator for the hospital. I saw her come in with her father, and I knew right away that she was the one for me. But she made me work for it."

"Good for you," Victoria said.

Mary Margaret smiled a more genuine smile than she had since she came in the door. It was obvious to everyone that she was very shy, or very tired, or both.

Victoria said, "We're just monopolizing your time. Would the two of you like to freshen up before dinner?"

Mary Margaret nodded and began to get up. Her husband offered his arm, saying, "Not a bad idea, Mother. We'll be back in a little while."

Eugene and Mary Margaret climbed the stairs, passing Nick and Heath on the way down. Nick and Heath came back into the parlor, each one taking a spot behind his lady. Nick rested his hand on Nancy's shoulder. She reached up and touched his hand, and somehow the action made her feel a bit better.

"She's very quiet," Audra said.

"I imagine she's tired and overwhelmed," Victoria said. "Eugene probably got so caught up with friends in town that she just wore out."

"And we can be a bit overwhelming around here," Heath offered.

"She's very lovely, though," Victoria said. "I'm sure we'll get to know her a lot better over the next few days."

XXXXXX

"You've been almost as quiet as Mary Margaret was tonight," Nick said as he and Nancy strolled around the yard after dinner.

Nancy debated telling him what was bothering her, but decided not to. "I suppose today has been a bit overwhelming for me, too. I love your family, Nick, and I enjoy being with them so much. Sometimes – well, sometimes it just makes me feel like I missed out for a lot of years."

"And sometimes all of us together can be a bit exhausting for someone who's not used to it," Nick said.

Nancy nodded. "That, too."

"I can take you on home if you like."

They had come from town with Heath and Suzanne. Nancy said, "No, no, I don't want to leave before Heath and Suzanne are ready, and they're still up on Cloud Nine. I'll wind down after a while."

Nick stopped, took Nancy by the shoulders to face him, and kissed her. Nancy enjoyed the kiss as much as she ever did, but she still felt like he was not really with her tonight. He was not really with her anymore. She couldn't help a few tears leaking out.

Nick noticed. "Hey, what's this? Something is wrong."

"No, no," Nancy said. "I'm just tired. Let's go back inside. Maybe a little brandy might be good for me."

"All right," Nick said, certain something was wrong but genuinely clueless about it.

They went back inside and spent a little time enjoying the company of family again, but it wasn't long before Suzanne said, "It's getting a bit late and I think I'd better be getting home, Heath."

"I think I should, too," Nancy said.

Then there were good-byes and "it was nice to meet you"s, and before very long, the surrey was heading back to town. Nick drove, with Nancy beside him and Heath and Suzanne in the back seat. Suzanne rested in Heath's arms in silence, all the way home. About half way there, Nick realized he should have his arm around Nancy, so he drew her close and kissed her forehead.

XXXXXXX

The house was quiet when Victoria came down after getting ready for bed. Nick and Heath weren't back yet, and she just wasn't ready to sleep – too keyed up from all the festivities, she decided, or maybe just awake because they weren't here. She wanted some warm milk and intended to head for the kitchen, but she was astonished to see Jarrod in the living room, standing alone at the fireplace with a drink in his hand. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

She hadn't seen him in that spot in a long time, even before he and Maggie moved to The Grove. He was only there alone when something was troubling him, and here he was now when he should have been in bed with his wife. But these days he had plenty to be troubled about. Victoria wondered if he was keeping things inside of him. She wondered what to say.

She walked quietly over to him. He heard her footfall and looked over his shoulder to her. He smiled a bit and reached to put an arm around her. She let him.

"My lovely lady, I thought you were heading for bed," he said and kissed her on her forehead.

"Thought I'd have a bit of warm milk," Victoria said. "What about you?"

Jarrod raised the glass of scotch he was drinking. "J.J.'s being fussy and Maggie's trying to get him down. I thought I'd have a little warm milk myself."

Victoria chuckled. "It's been a while since I've found you here like this, your favorite thinking spot. Tell me what's troubling you."

"Actually, nothing," Jarrod said. "Really, I'm not troubled – at least not for myself. Life is beautiful. I have a lovely wife and a son who's going to rival his Uncle Nick for rambunctiousness."

"But," Victoria said.

Jarrod pulled her closer. "But I worry a little about some of you." He shrugged. "It's the Pappy in me."

"You always did take your big brother responsibilities very seriously," Victoria said. "Who are you worried about?"

"Oh," Jarrod sighed. "A little about Eugene. Mary Margaret is so quiet, she's almost withdrawn. I find myself wondering if there's something wrong between them. And then there's Nick and Nancy. Something's going on there that uneases me."

"Well, I have to admit, I'm a little uneasy about them all myself. But one thing I've learned as a parent – you can't get any of your children to talk to you about something until they're ready to do it."

"Mmm, do tell? " Jarrod said, knowing full well she was referring to him now.

Victoria said softly, "Yes."

Jarrod gave in to her, as he always did. "I wonder sometimes what will be happening for J.J. when he's a man. Oh, I know he'll have Nick and Heath as father figures, and he couldn't have finer ones but – when I think about Eugene and Mary Margaret and Nick and Nancy – I don't know, somehow I just project out onto J.J.'s life and I wish I could be there for him when he faces things like that."

He looked away, and the sadness Victoria saw come into his eyes made tears come into her own. She didn't know what to say.

He saw her and squeezed her. "I know. You and I haven't talked much about what's happening to me, and I know it's only because I haven't known what to say and neither have you. Please understand something, Mother. I'm making peace with myself. I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful son, and I am happy. It's taken me some time to get to this point, and I still have my moments, but I truly am more concerned with those I leave behind than I am with myself. I love you all so much – and I guess in some stupid selfish way, I like to believe that you won't be able to get along without me."

He chuckled as he said it, and Victoria smiled. "You're entitled to feel selfish, but we will find a way to get along, and I think you'd rather hear me say that."

Jarrod smiled a little sheepishly and gave a nod.

But Victoria's voice had closed on her words, and now she could only say, "Oh, Jarrod, words seem so inadequate."

Jarrod squeezed her again. "Just take care of each other for me."

Victoria fought to get a smile out with her words. "We will. Don't trouble yourself about that. And may I add that I love you? I always will."

"And I will always love you." He wiped her tears away. "Don't fear for me, Mother. I'm one very happy man."

Victoria smiled, fought her tears back and rested her head against his shoulder.

Jarrod kissed her again, smiling. "Well, what do you know? I guess we did know what to say after all."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After they took the women to their respective homes, Heath climbed in the front of the surrey beside Nick. As they turned to go back home, Heath said straight away, "So, you still don't see that you're doing something wrong with Nancy, do you?"

Nick looked over at his brother, and then just ignored him. He slapped the reins and got the horses moving toward home.

Heath wasn't ready to give up. "Are you mad because I proposed to Suzanne today?"

"No," Nick said.

"Then what are you mad about?"

"Nothing!"

"Damn, you are harder to get the truth out of than Jarrod is. What is wrong between you and Nancy?"

"Nothing!"

Heath sighed a big sigh. "If you can't see that there's something wrong, you are gonna lose her, Nick. Or do you want to lose her?"

Nick didn't say anything for a few moments, and then he said, "I don't know."

Heath let that sink in and said, "What, are you thinking about breaking up with her?"

Nick considered again and said, "I don't know."

"Well, you better figure it out," Heath said, "because she's got at least one other suitor waiting in the wings, and she's not gonna wait much longer for you to decide whether you want her or not."

Nick was quiet for a long time, but then he finally said, "I do love her. I don't want to break up with her."

"Then you better start showing her you love her and don't want to break up with her," Heath immediately replied.

"I think she wants me to propose," Nick said.

"But you don't want to."

"No, I don't think I do."

"Why not?"

Nick sighed. "I'm not sure. I look at her sometimes and I want her to be with me all the time, for the rest of my life. And then sometimes I look at her and I see – how I could let her down."

"Let her down? How? Because you can't give up the saloon girls or something?"

"I gave them up long ago."

"You're kidding."

"No, we just talk when I go see them. They know I don't want anything more, and sometimes that's all they want, too."

Heath shook his head. "So it is partly giving up that."

"No, it's not. It's Jarrod."

"Jarrod? What's he got to do with you and Nancy?"

"He's a tough big brother to live up to, and since he's sick, he's even tougher."

Heath rolled his eyes. "What the heck are you talking about? What does that have to do with you and Nancy?"

Nick sighed. "If I get sick like Jarrod, I won't be able to face it like he is. Oh, I tell myself I would, but – if I was married to Nancy and I got sick – I don't think I could stand up to it like Jarrod is."

"Have you talked to Nancy about the chance you might get sick?"

"Yeah, she keeps reminding me that women can die in childbirth – which really doesn't make me feel a whole lot better."

"Jeez, Nick, why are you piling up the potential problems? We all have them hanging out there – Suzanne and I have the ones you just named. But you've never been one to let potential problems stop you with anything before. Why now? Unless you really don't want to marry Nancy."

Nick let that all settle in, but as it did, all he could say was, "I don't know."

Suddenly Heath's eyes lit up. "I think I get it. You've never been closer to wanting to get married, have you? That's what's scaring you. You're in unknown territory. You don't know for sure what you're getting into, and that's what's scaring you."

"No, it's not."

"The heck it isn't."

"That's not it!"

"Then what is it? What is it you don't know?"

Nick sighed. "I don't know."

Heath shook his head again. "Well, you better decide. Like I said, Nancy has another suitor waiting for her to give up on you, and from what I saw in her today, she's just about ready to do it."

Nick looked over at his younger brother. "You think so?"

"Nick, a blind man could see it! Make up your mind, and make it up in the next few days, or she's gonna get away!"

Nick went back to peering at the dark road. He tried to think of what he did know, and he knew that he loved Nancy and wanted her in his life. But he was also afraid of getting sick and putting her through his illness, and he was afraid of losing her in childbirth. But what he didn't know was why he was letting those catastrophes – that were only possibilities, not certainties – get to him now.

Heath almost seemed to be reading his mind. "You're getting crazy over this because it's Christmas and because I got engaged to Suzanne, and you've never wanted to marry anybody as much as you want to marry Nancy. You're putting too much worry into things that don't need any worry."

Nick shook his head. He'd had enough. "Yeah, I know," he said.

Heath sighed. "Well, at least you know something."

XXXXXXX

When they got home, Audra and Carl had left. Maggie was still getting J.J. down for the night. Eugene and Mary Margaret had gotten ready for bed but come down into the living room and were talking with Victoria and Jarrod, but again, Mary Margaret was being very quiet.

"Oh, Jarrod is 15 years older than I am," Eugene was explaining to his wife. "I was 12 when our father died. This old man was more my father than my brother after that."

"You needed a father," Jarrod said. "You had no direction at all in your life. You studied all kinds of things but couldn't settle on what you wanted to do with your life, and you were ornery! I think there was a whole year in there you didn't even crack a smile for anybody, just sullen and contradictory all the time."

"Well, I got over that," Eugene said, squeezed his wife's hand and smiled to her.

"Good," Jarrod said, "because I have another one to raise now."

"Aw, J. J.'s more like Nick than he is like Eugene," Heath said as he and Nick came into the room.

"I wish he were more like me," Jarrod said.

"That will come," Victoria said. "Children change as they grow. I remember, Eugene, that when you were three you looked like me, and then a year later you looked more like your father. And your temperament changed constantly. Before that sullen time Jarrod was talking about, you were as loud and boisterous as Nick is, and after that sullen time you were as heady as Jarrod."

"I'm settled down now," Eugene said to his wife.

She smiled a little. "I hope so," was all she said.

Eugene took her hand a stood up. "You know, I think we'd better get to bed. We've had a really long day."

Mary Margaret stood up with him, and they each said good night and went upstairs. Jarrod watched them go, and remained standing by the fireplace and as Nick and Heath sat down in the chairs Eugene and Mary Margaret vacated.

"She's very quiet," Jarrod said.

"She's just tired and maybe a bit overwhelmed," Victoria said. "And perhaps just a bit shy."

"Speaking of quiet," Jarrod said and turned toward Nick. "You've been pretty reserved yourself, Nick. What's happening with you?"

Nick made a grunting sound. "Just out of sorts, I guess."

"Is it Nancy?" Victoria asked, jumping through the opening Jarrod had made. "She was a bit on the quiet side today too."

"No, no, it's not Nancy," Nick said. "It's nothing. You know, I think I'll head up for bed too."

Nick got up and went upstairs so abruptly that Jarrod's eyes grew wide and he looked at Heath. "So exactly what is it with him?"

"It _is_ Nancy," Heath said. "I don't know exactly what, but I think the problem is that Nick doesn't know either. Things are bothering him that shouldn't be."

"Cold feet?" Jarrod asked.

"Maybe," Heath said. "Or maybe it's just the holidays and me and Suzanne getting engaged."

"Maybe he's feeling some pressure," Victoria said. "Nick never was very good with pressure. He wants to lash out, and right now he doesn't know what to lash out at."

Jarrod said, "Maybe I'll talk with him tomorrow if he's still like this. But right now, I better go see to my wife and son. Good night, Mother," he said and kissed her. "Good night, Heath."

"Good night, Jarrod," both Victoria and Heath said as Jarrod went upstairs.

Victoria looked at Heath then and said, "Nick doesn't know whether he wants to ask Nancy to marry him or not, does he?"

"I think you're right," Heath said.

Victoria sighed. "I hope he doesn't let her get away. She's perfect for him."

"She won't get away if I have anything to do with it," Heath said, and he gave his mother a lop-sided grin.

Victoria chuckled. "Heath, my darling, I never saw you as a cupid, but maybe I better revise my opinion."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nick and Heath were up and at it early the next morning. Victoria was the only one up with them, so she and Heath were left to deal with Nick's continuing surliness alone. Victoria kept thinking she should try to say something to him, but Heath kept shaking his head, so she backed off. The two cowboys were off and out to work before anyone else came down.

Jarrod and Maggie came down with J.J. about an hour after Nick and Heath left, and Eugene and Mary Margaret were about half an hour behind them. Victoria lingered at the breakfast table (the second set up for Silas, but he didn't mind), and they chatted happily for an hour or so, but Mary Margaret was still very quiet. It was beginning to look like she was just shy, not tired.

Jarrod and Maggie left for home at about nine, and Eugene and Mary Margaret joined Victoria in the living room. Victoria was mending socks while Eugene and Mary Margaret shared more coffee.

Victoria tried to pull Mary Margaret out a little more. "Did you ever have to darn socks, Mary Margaret?" Victoria asked.

"No, not really," Mary Margaret said, and that was all.

"Well, it's something I've always enjoyed doing, actually," Victoria said. "There's something about completing a necessary chore that makes me feel good."

"Mary Margaret's mother passed when she was only ten," Eugene explained. "I doubt she had time to teach Mary Margaret how to darn socks."

Mary Margaret finally volunteered something. "We had a housekeeper after Mother died. She did those kinds of chores."

"Mary Margaret has a lot of brothers and sisters," Eugene said.

"Oh?" Victoria asked.

"Four brothers and two sisters," Mary Margaret said. "We really needed a housekeeper."

"Before her father was administrator at our hospital, he was assistant administrator at Johns Hopkins," Eugene said. "Long hours both places. They did really need that housekeeper."

They spent more than an hour just chatting, and gradually Mary Margaret came out of her shell a little. Victoria found she was beginning to like the young lady. She did have a smile, and she did have a sweet way with words. All she needed was to feel a bit more comfortable.

Eugene finally said he wanted to take Mary Margaret out to see the property. Since she did not know how to ride, he planned to take the buggy. Victoria had Silas pack them some sandwiches, and they were off.

The first place they went was to see Nick and Heath tending the herd. The hands were bringing in winter feed and dropping it in bundles off wagons for the cattle to eat. Eugene was explaining that to Mary Margaret when Nick and Heath saw them.

"Well, Miss Talkative is here," Nick said from a distance.

"Came to see Mr. Talkative, I guess," Heath said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick asked.

"It means you're still out of sorts. Be careful. Pappy will be giving you a talking to before long."

"So, he has to know my business too?"

"Nick, he's known you all your life. It doesn't take much for him to figure you out. Besides, maybe talking to him would be a good idea, given what's been bothering you."

"Did you tell him?"

"No, I haven't gone into details with anybody. That's your job."

Heath turned his horse and went away. Nick looked up and saw that Eugene and Mary Margaret were moving on, too. He grumbled and got back to work.

XXXXXXX

Eugene and Mary Margaret were gone all day, returning to the ranch at exactly the same time as Nick and Heath were coming in, near five.

"Well, hello," Nick said. "Did you two have a good day?"

"Beautiful," Eugene said. "Saw your herd."

"We saw you," Heath said as he and Nick dismounted. "Did you like the tour of the ranch, Mary Margaret?"

"It was very nice," Mary Margaret said, and that was it.

"Why don't you two go on inside?" Heath said. "We'll see to the rig."

"Thanks," Gene said, helping his wife down, and together they went into the house.

"Nick, I'm heading into the Pearsons' for dinner tonight. You gonna go get Nancy?"

Nick looked at his brother. "Yeah, I am. I'm just gonna change the horse on the buggy and go get her. Would you tell Mother when you go inside?"

"Sure."

"I guess both the ladies are coming for Christmas dinner tomorrow."

Nick looked at him suspiciously. "I guess."

Heath just smiled and nodded. He gave his horse off to Ciego and asked for a fresh mount to take into town, and then he went inside the house.

His mother was there alone in the living room. Eugene and Mary Margaret had already gone upstairs to change clothes. Heath went into the living room, saying, "Mother, I'm going to change clothes and go have dinner at the Pearsons' tonight."

"All right," Victoria said. "Where's Nick?"

"He's going to go get Nancy and bring her out here for dinner."

"Well, I hope we don't have quite the silent dinner we had last night."

Heath said, "I'm not sure if that's gonna happen or not. I tried talking to Nick today, but I'm still not sure exactly what's eating him." That was somewhat of a lie, but it was up to Nick to tell people what was eating him.

"It'll have to come to a head sooner or later. I guess it's best we just leave Nick alone for a while."

"Hm," Heath agreed. "I'm gonna go change and I'll be off."

"Have a good evening, Heath."

XXXXXXXX

Nick pulled up to Mrs. Callum's boarding house, tied the rig to the hitching rail, and went up to the door. It only took a brief knock before Nancy herself answered the door.

"Good evening, Nick," she said quietly.

"Evening," Nick said, took his hat off and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "You ready?"

"Yes," Nancy said and stepped outside, but then she stopped. "Nick, would you mind, I'd like to talk here on the porch for a few minutes first."

Nick felt a bad itch, but he said, "Sure, let's sit down."

There were several chairs there, two of the to the right side of the door, and that was where they sat down.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"That's what I was going to ask you," Nancy said. "You seem very distant lately, and I don't know why, and I don't know what to say to you."

"Distant?" Nick asked. "I don't mean to be distant."

"Well, you are," Nancy said. "It seems like since I came here six weeks ago, we've grown farther apart and not closer together. What's wrong? Are you changing your mind about me?" 

Nick sighed, looking at his hat in his hands and then up at Nancy. "No. No, I like being with you – I love you."

"You're not acting that way," Nancy said.

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Like I said, you just seem to be distant. Going through the motions of courting me without really wanting to." Nancy's voice was beginning to close on the words.

Nick put his hand atop hers. "I don't mean it that way. Maybe I'm just really bad at courting, I don't know."

"It didn't seem to help that Heath asked Suzanne to marry him."

"No," Nick said, "it didn't."

"Are you afraid of being married?"

"No, no, not at all – well, maybe in a way. It's not you. It's just that – well, when I think of all the problems I could have with whoever I married – I get uncomfortable."

Nancy almost rolled her eyes. "Are we going to go over the chance that you might get heart disease again?"

"That – and the thought of maybe losing you in childbirth. I don't know why. They really lay heavy on me these days."

"Do you want to stop seeing me?"

"No!" Nick said fast. "That's the one thing I'm sure of. I want to keep seeing you."

"It can't go on like this forever, Nick," Nancy said, her tears not threatening now. "At some point we're going to have to decide if we want to get married or part ways."

Nick asked, "Are you saying we're at that point?"

Nancy sighed and looked away.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

" _It can't go on like this forever, Nick," Nancy said, her tears not threatening now. "At some point we're going to have to decide if we want to get married or part ways."_

 _Nick asked, "Are you saying we're at that point?"_

 _Nancy sighed and looked away._

"Is that what you're saying?" Nick asked again.

"No," Nancy said. "But I'm not about to be the one to propose. A man either wants me or he doesn't."

"I want you," Nick said quickly. "I really do. I just – "

"Have cold feet," Nancy finished the thought for him again when he couldn't. "Tell you what. It's Christmas. We don't need to have this kind of conversation over a holiday. I'd just like to enjoy it with you and your family, just like you invited me to. After the new year – maybe we ought to have the big, important talk. Maybe by then you'll figure out what you want for us."

"Are you mad at me?" Nick asked.

Nancy shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you. You just have me confused. But let's go to your house now. Let's just enjoy our time together with your family."

Nancy began to get up, and Nick helped her. As they walked to the buggy, Nick said, "It'll just be us and Mother and Eugene and Mary Margaret tonight."

"She's very quiet, isn't she?" Nancy said.

Nick helped her into the buggy. "Very. I don't know what the problem is, but one of these days I'm going to ask Eugene."

Nick climbed into the buggy with her. Nancy said, "I hope it's not anything bad between her and Eugene."

Nick sat still for a long moment. He hadn't thought of that, but of course – but then he was deciding that he was pretty bad at reading women.

XXXXXXX

Eugene stepped up behind his wife, drinking in her lavender fragrance, enjoying the smile he saw in the mirror in front of her. But he said, "I'm sorry you're not enjoying yourself more here."

"I'm enjoying myself just fine," Mary Margaret said.

"You don't seem to be. You're so quiet, except when it's just you and me, and with Mother yesterday. Is something wrong?"

Mary Margaret checked her hair in the mirror. "No. I'm just – " She sighed. "When are we going home, Gene?"

"Going home?" he laughed. "We just got here."

"It's really strange here – nothing like Baltimore or Washington."

"Well, they're both big eastern cities. This is a western country ranch. Didn't you enjoy riding around today?"

"Well – no, not really."

Eugene took her shoulders and turned her around. "Why not? Honey, this is where I was born and grew up. I wanted you to see that, and I wanted you to meet my family. Didn't you want to?"

"I did, and I like your family – but I'm so far away from home. Until we took that train, I never realized how far away from home we were going."

Eugene chuckled as his wife began to tear up. He took her into his arms and said, "You're just homesick, that's all."

"Maybe," she said into his chest. "I miss my father and my brothers and sisters."

"And I miss mine when we're back east, but except for Audra's wedding, I haven't been back here in years. I needed to see them. I needed to pay attention to them, at least a little bit. Give them a chance, Em, you'll like them."

"I do like them. I'm just homesick, like you said."

"Tell you what," Eugene said. "I'll try to get Nick to start talking more tonight at dinner, and he'll cheer you up before you know it. He's probably a bigger laugher than all your brothers put together."

"He hasn't seemed that way yet."

"Trust me. We'll get him going, and he'll have you in stitches. And you'll have a much better time, I promise."

Eugene kissed his wife, a loving peck at first, and then something much more deep and passionate.

"And then," he said, "when we go to bed tonight – "

Mary Margaret laughed. "You're just a big tease, Gene."

"Not me," Eugene said and buried his face in her neck.

XXXXXXX

" – and that boy used to bait me," Nick said, finishing a story about Eugene at the dinner table that had all the women in stitches. "I mean it, he used to say something just to irritate me and then run off and make me go catch him, and I mean he was fast."

"You had longer legs, though," Eugene said, stifling his own laughter. "You caught me every time – which is what I wanted you to do in the first place."

"Remember that time I tried to talk you into jumping off the roof of the bunkhouse?"

"Couldn't fool me, though."

"The heck I couldn't. You'd have jumped if Jarrod hadn't caught you climbing up there and yanked you down."

"Pappy always was a taskmaster."

"Pappy?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Nickname we gave Jarrod," Nick said.

"What do you mean, 'we'?" Eugene asked. "You were the one gave him that label before I was even born."

"Yes, he always was the taskmaster," Victoria agreed, "since the day you were born, Nick. He took his big brother job very seriously."

"Bossy's the word," Nick said. "Good thing he's not here. I got a few complaints I'd like to air."

Eugene dissolved more in laughter. "Like the time he caught you giving me a bath in the watering trough."

"Yeah, that's one," Nick said. "I'd just gotten you all soaped up, too."

"And the time, Nick, when he caught you trying to ride away on your father's best gelding," Victoria said.

"I don't remember that," Eugene said.

"You weren't born yet," Victoria said. "Nick was barely four years old. We asked Jarrod to keep an eye on him while we were carrying vegetables into the kitchen, and it took Nick all of two minutes to find the nearest saddled horse and climb up on it."

"Now, I hear tell that Jarrod was prone to do the same thing before I even came along," Nick said.

"And he learned his lesson when he got thrown on his head," Victoria said. "Oh, your father dressed him up and down as soon as we realized he wasn't badly hurt."

"Well, he fell on his head," Nick said.

They all laughed a lot at the dinner table. Even Mary Margaret loosened up, and Nancy let her concerns about Nick fly away, too. After dinner, the two couples went for a walk, separately, while Victoria watched from the library window, smiling.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Nick asked Nancy.

"Oh, yes, I always do around your mother, but your brother is a real pistol, too," she said. "He really reminds me of a cross between you and Jarrod."

"A cross?"

"Yes. He's very heady, like Jarrod, but a bit wild, like you."

"So Jarrod's heady and I'm wild."

"Pretty much."

Nick laughed himself. "I guess you're right. He always did have it all over me in the smarts department."

"Well now, I didn't mean that," Nancy said. "You have plenty of smarts, just not the kind he has."

"You know," Nick said, "I've been pretty jealous of my big brother's way with women for a long time now. You're not getting a crush on him, are you?"

"No," Nancy laughed. "He's happily married, for heaven's sake, and he's not the kind of man for me anyway."

"A little too smart?"

"Maybe. Anyway, Nick, I did enjoy myself tonight. I do love your family very much."

They stopped, and Nick abruptly kissed Nancy. She acted a little surprised, especially when he didn't say anything afterward.

"That was sudden," she said.

Nick heaved a sigh. "I just felt like it. It just occurred to me that I didn't realize how much you loved all of us, not just me."

"I do love all of you," Nancy said.

A light abruptly went off in Nick's head. He realized that if things did not work out with him and Nancy, she'd be losing more than him. She'd be losing all the Barkleys. But more than that, he realized that if he lost her, "the Barkleys" would not be complete. She belonged with all of them now. He suddenly realized how much she was a part of his life, all of his life.

 _What's the matter with me?_ he wondered. _Here's a woman I love and who loves me, and my family loves, and she loves all of them. She deserves a husband and a family and it should be with me. Why am I so reluctant to ask her to marry me? Why in the world am I letting her get away?_

Suddenly he could put it all together and realized he was making no sense at all. He knew he loved her and he couldn't possibly live without her. All his reluctance was simple cold feet, and it was time to let that all go. Nick touched her face. "I do love you," he said. "I really do."

Nancy smiled. "I love you, too."

Nick kissed her again, and he whispered in her ear, "I do want you to marry me, Nancy. I don't have the proper ring and I don't have the proper way of saying it, but will you marry me? When I get you the proper ring and get down on my knee – "

Nancy pulled away. "Why are you asking me now? I thought we were going to put this off until after the new year."

"Because I do love you, and I can't see my life without you in it. I look around this place and at my family members, and I can't see you being anywhere else."

Nancy was so surprised, she began to sputter. "Do you – you really mean that?"

"Yes, I really mean it. Will you please marry me, Nancy?"

Nancy smiled and laughed and sputtered some more. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Nick hugged her so hard he lifted her off the ground, and he wondered why in the world he had ever hesitated asking her. _Because you've been an idiot, Nick Barkley_ , he thought. _But you're not anymore._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Eugene and Mary Margaret were walking only about a hundred feet from Nick and Nancy, and they stopped and watched the older couple in the light coming from the house as Nick and Nancy kissed, then pulled away and talked and smiled.

"Uh-oh, I think Brother Nick just jumped on the happily married bandwagon," Eugene said.

"You think so?" Mary Margaret said, with one of her most genuine smiles since they came here.

"They both definitely have that look. Betcha five dollars they'll have an announcement when we get back inside."

Mary Margaret actually laughed. Making bets was a thing between her and her husband. The loser always did pay off the winner, too. But Mary Margaret said, "No bet. I think you're right."

"Remember how I asked you?"

"Oh, yes. First you asked my father, and then I came in from the kitchen with my sisters, and you asked me in front of them. They were so excited."

"You were the last of the single girls in the O'Malley family. All Baltimore society cheered."

Mary Margaret laughed again. "And they all showed up for the wedding, too." Then she suddenly lost her smile.

"What?" Gene asked.

Mary Margaret grinned a little sheepishly. "Are you going to want to come all the way back here for these weddings?"

"Well, depends on when they are, where they'll be, things like that. You're thinking about that long train trip again, aren't you?"

"I really didn't like that. It made me sick all the way out."

Eugene squeezed her. "And you're homesick, I know. Don't worry. I was here for Audra's wedding, and that's the one that counted. The boys will forgive me, but Audra never would have."

Mary Margaret laughed again, and Eugene squeezed her again. Maybe he could talk his brothers into getting married right away.

XXXXXXX

Eugene and Mary Margaret went in before Nick and Nancy did, and Victoria immediately noticed that Mary Margaret looked a lot happier this evening than she had since she and Eugene arrived. The girl was actually smiling, and Eugene looked like the cat who ate the canary.

"What's going on?" Victoria asked right away.

"See?" Eugene said to his wife. "I told you you couldn't get anything past my mother."

Victoria was reading in the living room on the settee, and she put her book down. "What are you trying to get by me?"

"Not us," Eugene said.

Nick and Nancy came in right behind them then. Nick's arm was around Nancy's waist, and he was looking happier than he had in days, too. "Well, glad we're all here," Nick said.

"Why is that?" Victoria asked, thinking she might have known exactly why it was.

"She said yes," Nick said.

Victoria actually squealed, jumped up and ran into Nancy's arms. "It's about time, Nick! I was afraid you were going to let this girl get away!"

Eugene offered his hand to his brother, and as Victoria hugged Nick, Mary Margaret hugged Nancy.

"I'm not dumb enough to let her escape," Nick said. "I'm pretty dumb, but not that dumb."

"Oh, there's so much to do, so much to plan," Victoria said.

"Mother, we went all through this with Heath and Suzanne," Nick said. "There'll be plenty of time to fret and plan."

"We haven't set a date," Nancy said.

"We have two of you to set dates for – and all my children will be married!" Victoria realized the last when she was halfway through the sentence.

"Shall I get some champagne?" Eugene asked.

"Why don't we wait until tomorrow when everyone's here," Nick said.

"Oh, my, what a Christmas!" Victoria gasped. "Everyone married, and J.J.'s first Christmas, and Eugene and Mary Margaret here – I'm not sure I can take it!"

Nick laughed and hugged his mother. "You can take it, Mother," he said. "It's the rapid fire weddings you might not be able to take."

XXXXXXX

On Christmas Day, Eugene and Mary Margaret went to the Catholic Church in Stockton to help feed the poor. Audra and Carl came by early, and while Victoria and Audra went visiting among their neighbors, Carl helped Nick and Heath with a few chores around the stableyard. Silas fixed them a lunch of soup and biscuits, and the rest of the afternoon the men spent playing pool, drinking whiskey and smoking cigars.

Jarrod, Maggie and J.J. came by late in the afternoon, just before Audra and Victoria returned. At about four in the afternoon, Nick and Heath went to town to bring Nancy, Suzanne and the Pearsons out to the ranch. At six, after Eugene and Mary Margaret returned and everyone had gathered, the wassail bowl was filled. And then, at seven, Christmas dinner was served.

Silas had outdone himself. There was a great turkey with all the trimmings and three kinds of pie for dessert. As soon as he had the table all ready and the food laid out, Silas left to visit with some of the friends from his church. And everyone else sat down for the blessing.

"Dear Heavenly Father," Victoria said, "we thank you for this food and for all your blessings on this day which is so special to us. We thank you for our houseman, Silas, and how he takes care of us all year long. We thank you for the company of friends and family, and finally, we thank you that both Suzanne and Nancy said yes."

Those who didn't know that Nick had proposed actually looked up, eyes bugging out.

And in the cradle in the living room, J.J. began to cry.

"Amen," Victoria said, and everyone else followed.

Maggie got up from the table, kissed both Nick and Nancy and said, "Another Barkley heard from. Please excuse me."

"Do you need my help?" Jarrod asked.

"I'll call if I do," Maggie said as she left.

"Well, Mother," Jarrod said, "this time next year, all of your children will be happily married, and J.J. is likely to have some cousins to keep him company."

"My goodness, my head is spinning," Victoria said.

"Mine, too," Nancy said. "I didn't expect Nick to be asking me to marry him this soon."

"Well, I just didn't want that banker in town to have a chance with you," Nick said and squeezed Nancy's hand.

"Well, I suppose we'll be having to set some dates soon," Louise Pearson said.

"Suzanne and I were thinking about late summer or early autumn," Heath said.

Nick looked at Nancy. Nancy said, "We haven't gotten that far yet, but I don't think we'll want to go colliding either with your date or with Carl and Audra's first anniversary."

"We'll make plans over the winter," Nick suggested.

"Just make sure you give us plenty of notice," Audra said. "There's a lot to do for a wedding."

Jarrod raised his wineglass. "I propose a toast – to all the proposals that have gone by this past year, and all the happy marriages, now and to come."

"Here, here," everyone said and drank.

The End


End file.
